Tinted Windows

TINTED WINDOWS
"TINTED WINDOWS"
(S-Curve, 2009)


What do you get when you bring together Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, guitarist James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne co-founder/bassist Adam Schlesinger, and former tween-pop heartthrob Taylor Hanson? You get every bit as great an album as you can imagine coming from such a talented lineup. Meet the power-pop supergroup calling themselves Tinted Windows. Although the guys' ages span three generations (the youngest 26, the eldest 57, and the other two smack dab in between), and their individual backgrounds are spread over a broad array of musical styles and influences, they sound surprisingly solid and cohesive, especially considering this is their first recording together. To give you an idea of how well they meld: two of the tracks that sound the most like early-to-mid-era Hanson, "Kind of a Girl" and the delightfully catchy "Cha Cha", weren't written by Taylor, and the track that is perhaps more than any other on the disc reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne, "Nothing To Me", is actually one of the three on the disc that wasn't written or even co-written by Adam Schlesinger.

Since he serves as the lead vocalist throughout, fans of Taylor Hanson's always-appealing voice will probably enjoy this album, even though he doesn't hit that bluesy-soulful sweet spot that he regularly has on Hanson's last few albums. But then, that's partly the point of this album. If you're looking for any of the profound messages of a Hanson lyric, or the clever wordplay or witty pop-culture shout-outs characteristic of Fountains of Wayne, you won't find that here. What you will find is a set of blissfully addictive, straightforward pop tunes with just the right amount of rock punch, perfect for listening to on a summer afternoon on the highway with the convertible top down. Anyone who's a fan of those plain-and-simple power-pop groups of the past, like the Raspberries, the Knack, the Romantics, or perhaps even the Beatles, will find plenty to love on this album. My only complaint is that it runs only 35 minutes ... but I guess if it were too much longer, it wouldn't leave us craving more.

Cant Get A Read On You - Tinted Windows

CD of the Week: Fountains of Wayne

Welcome to a new feature in my blog (okay, I guess that since I just started this thing, technically every feature is "new"), my "CD of the Week"! [Insert fanfare here.] Sometimes it'll be a new, hot-off-the-presses release, sometimes a recent one, and sometimes it might even be a dusty old favorite from my past. Needless to say, this feature could change and evolve (possibly become a more-than-once-a-week thing, or spawn another weekly CD "spotlight" ... who knows?), so stay tuned! Meanwhile, here's my inaugural honoree....


FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
"TRAFFIC AND WEATHER"
(Virgin, 2007)

I've been a fan of Fountains of Wayne, the current standard-bearers of power pop, since about a year before they released their "Welcome Interstate Managers" album and "Stacy's Mom" took the Top 40 by storm ... an occurrence that didn't surprise me (music this fun and catchy should be in the Top 40), but also did surprise me (that Americans could actually demonstrate good taste in music once in awhile). Now, after a long four years (unless you count the B-sides collection, "Out-Of-State Plates", released two years ago), our patience has been rewarded with their new album, "Traffic And Weather".

Those of us who are faithful Fountains of Wayne conoisseurs will find plenty to like in this album. The hooky tunes and clever lyrics are all still firmly entrenched, waiting to invade our hungry, power-pop-loving ears. There are the occasional horn accents ("Strapped For Cash", "Yolanda Hayes"), the pleasant little touch of country ("Fire In The Canyon"), the melancholy ballad ("I-95"), and the obligatory hit singles (hell, nearly all of 'em!). The lyrics might occasionally get a bit too clever for their own good, but I'd rather have overly clever lyrics than trite and unimaginative ones.

The casual Fountains of Wayne listener who's looking for the next "Stacy's Mom" may well be disappointed by this album, but that's not to say it's bad. In my opinion, any FoW album is better than a lot of the junk out there. These guys make just the kind of music I like ... not overly sexy or angry or brooding, but toe-tapping, hum-along tunes that give the mood a little lift.